Got it Going On!

It is with immense sadness that I wish to inform our sweet Georgi's Dogster furiends of her passing over to The Rainbow Bridge on 23/12/2012 due to a one in a million/billion complication of a routine Caesarean/spaying operation.

Georgi stood out as the most exceptional, happy, gentle natured puppy from the moment she was born - the first of her litter of nine beautiful pups.
My daughter fell in love with her from those earliest days, and she was the one to give Georgi her name.

Georgi's debut into the show ring aged 6mths old at a New Year's Day ribbon parade saw her awarded Best On Parade over several titled show dogs.
However in the championship show ring, Georgi was always competing against her extremely beautiful "Wow factor" cousin Xena, and Georgi struggled to beat her. Xena's fizzy personality and love of the showring always outshone Georgi's calm obedience apart from 4 times in her whole show career.
Her greatest achievement in the GSD specialist ring was a 2nd placing in the junior class where the judge said she placed her there because of her honesty and the fact that she calmly gave her all to those who were handling her.

Georgi was retired from the show ring at 2yrs old to become a mommy and also so that she could achieve the ultimate calling of any dog - to become a much loved family pet.
Once Georgi's beautiful puppies were weaned she went to live in the country with my oldest daughter and her family, plus Georgi's Aunty Abigail.
Country life agreed with Georgi. She spent most of her days wandering free in the pastures near the house, chasing butterflies, digging holes, sleeping in the shade of the hedge rows on lazy summer days, and being showered with the love of a wonderful family.

The agreement with my daughter regards Georgi was that she would have another litter of puppies late 2013 - early 2014, and then Georgi would be spayed.
While that was what was agreed upon, my husband went out to our daughter's to tend the gardens one day when my daughter didn't realise that Georgi was on heat and an unplanned mating between Georgi and Howard Jr took place.

Georgi returned to us to have her puppies the week before Christmas, and late on Saturday afternoon 12/22 3 healthy puppies were delivered by caesarean section 2 girls and a rather large boy.
Georgi never really recovered from her Caesarean/spay surgery and left us for The Rainbow Bridge at 12pm the next day as she lay on the vets operating table where they desperately tried to save her life.
My husband and I were suddenly left with a house full of family/visitors from overseas for Christmas, and 3 orphaned day old puppies to hand rear.
My husband and I had talked with the vet before we had left the clinic about the chances of getting a foster mother for our orphaned puppies. You hear about these wonderful things happening, but according to our vet the actual occurance of such a thing happening isn't at all common and in all the years our vet clinic has been in operation they had never had it happen once - our vet clinic being the one a huge majority of the dog breeders in our province use.
We drove home in silence from the vets.

When we arrived home my husband just stood quietly in the driveway holding the 3 puppies in the puppy carrier, and I stood beside him with tears running down my cheeks.
Normally when we come home from being out our dogs all bark like crazy, running and jumping up and down the fencelines of their runs.
This day they all just sat quietly, their big brown eyes watching us as if they had full knowledge of the desperate attempt to try and save Georgi's precious life, and of her journey to The Rainbow Bridge.

The dogs were all quiet except for Holly who is usually the quietest of them all.
Holly was whining and howling hysterically as she threw herself frantically against the chain link mesh of her run in a very obvious attempt to get out. Holly was so distressed and frantic I had to let her out of her run. She ran straight over to my husband and kept jumping up at the puppy carrier as if she was frantically trying to get to the puppies.
My husband and I stared at each other in shock/surprise as we took Holly inside with us and the puppies.
Holly ran straight into our bedroom where the whelping box stays permanently in one corner of the huge room, and she jumped into it as my husband placed the puppies into it.

Holly gently licked and washed each puppy, nudging them onto the heat pad to keep them warm. Once she had washed them all, she lay down beside them and nudged them up against her stomach as if encouraging them to suckle off her. I called our vet and told her about Holly's behavior, wanting to know what the chances were of Holly producing milk as it was 2yrs since she had her litter of puppies. The vet told me that it could happen, but that because it was so long since Holly had her puppies not to hold my breath and expect a miracle.
And so, the tiring task of trying to save/bring up Georgi's orphan puppies began as I fed them every 1-2 hours, cooking Christmas Dinner for 14 people and having a houseful of people. I think I only got about 8hrs sleep in total between 12/22 (having spent all of that Saturday night up with Georgi) and 12/30. I don't think Holly slept at all those first 10 days she spent with her newly adopted furbabies.
Holly was nurturing and protecting these puppies more than I have ever known any natural mother dog to.

Christmas Eve came and it was only as I went to give the puppies their midnight feed I noticed something unusual - Holly's mammaries were starting to swell and when I gently pulled on one of her back nipples the slightest amount of milk came out.
The most beautiful miracle was happening before my very eyes, in my house. Holly was starting to produce milk to feed her adopted family.

Christmas 2012 will forever be remembered in our family above all others.
Georgi's passing to The Rainbow Bridge will be remembered well as a time of immense sadness.
However, we will also remember how a gift of unbelievable love was given by one of the most amazing dogs I have ever known to a litter of day old orphaned puppies. Holly will long be remembered until the day we all die as the most beautiful dog with the hugest of hearts who's motherly love surpassed anything we have ever known or experienced.
While Holly has long been one of our vet team's most favorite GSD's because of her gentleness, she has won their hearts because of the miracle that happened at Christmas.
Our circle of dog loving friends have all become Holly's biggest fans. People are amazed when they hear about Georgi's orphaned puppies and Holly's truly incredible gift of motherly love.
While Holly will never ever be the amazing show dog her mother Bella was or ever possess the pizazz/presence that her sister Xena has, if we could only ever have one dog it would be Holly because of her immensely loving heart.

To date Georgi's/Holly's puppies no longer need to be fed with puppy formula as Holly has more than enough milk for them.
Holly keeps them scrupulously clean, loves, watches over, and plays with them as though they are the most special puppies ever born.
They are exceptionally healthy, and the boy is far bigger, stronger and more advanced than is normal for his age of 3 1/2 weeks.

It's a warm, humid day down here near the bottom of the world today, and us doggies aren't doing much apart from lying around the yard sleeping.
Howard Jr has gone up to our mountain house with daddy, and I'm pleased about that. I don't miss his bossy ways!!!!!!!!!

Phoenix the S/Vallhund was the one who started us doggies all wishing it was Christmas again. Mommy had gone out into the laundry for just a minute to get something. Phoenix glanced both ways to make sure mommy was definitely out of sight, and then she jumped up onto one of the dining table chairs. Phoenix jumped onto the dining table next to where our small artifical Christmas Tree is.

UH OH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Phoenix started sniffing the Christmas pawresents that are still under our Christmas tree, and then she started ripping the wrapping paper with her teeth!
The rest of us doggies all crowded around the table and sat there watching Phoenix ripping open all those pawresents. She dropped a T Shirt over the side of the table to us and Freddie started chewing it.
Yuk!!! That wasn't a doggy treat!
She dropped something else over the side of the table and I grabbed it.
Phut!!! That wasn't a doggy toy!

"Just what do you all think you are doing?" Mommy's voice called across the living room.
Everyone quickly ran outside except me. I walked up to mommy with the thing I had in my mouth and gave it to her.
"I think you all just wish it was Christmas every day," mommy said as she gave me a rub behind my ear.
"Oh yes," I thought as I wagged my tail so hard it thumped on the living room floor. "I wished Santa Paws would come again."

Mommy suddenly remembered that there were some bags of Eukanuba Healthy Extras in our showing bag, so she went and got them for us.
We were all so excited to be getting treats again - except for Xena! Xena took one in her mouth, spat it out and walked off outside. I guess she really just doesn't like eating anything healthy, but that means there's more for the rest of us!

It was Christmas Eve, the fairy lights were twinkling on the Christmas Tree, Christmas Carols were playing and mommy took us all out into the yard to look at the clear starry sky for just a couple of minutes.
When we got back in the house there were lots and lots of pawresents around our Christmas Tree, and Santa had left a Santa hat too!
Mommy put the santa hat on Holly and she helped to give us some of our pawresents.

Howard Jr got the first pawresent to open and it was a bag of pigs ears - mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm - we all got one.
Mommy and daddy watched a Christmas movie and it seemed as if we were opening doggy pawresents filled with delicious treats to eat all evening.
We were all so happy it was Christmas and Santa Paws had visited our house.

It was 1am by the time we went to bed, but that didn't stop us waking up at 5am to open the rest of our pawresents.
Daddy said he had no idea why we had all woken up so early when we went to bed so late and normally sleep in when that happens!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mommy just laughed at daddy and told him that he was silly, because us doggies all knew it was Christmas and we wanted to open our Christmas pawresents.
So, mommy took us all back into the living room, Holly put the santa hat on again and we got the rest of our pawresents.

There were so many new toys and squeakies in those pawresents we lost count of who's squeaky was who's. This was apart from Holly who took a particular liking to a pink squeaky she received, so she took it to her place in the living room and stayed with it and a couple of pigs ears all morning.
There were pink squeakies, green squeakies, reindeer toys, doggy toys, orange squeakies, rope chew toys - too many to write about. There were more pawresents filled with doggy treats - greenie bones, pigs ears, chicken and sweet potato, beef jerky etc.......
I loved all the wrapping paper and had great fun jumping into the middle of the pile and barking at it.

Christmas was the most fun ever, and I can't wait for Christmas next year so that it can happen all over again.

Thank you Dogster for choosing me to be a Diary Daily Pick.
Thank you for such an honor.
I sure hope Santa knows this. Maybe he'll leave me an extra pawresent in my Christmas stocking on Christmas Eve now.

YIPPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I just heard that Santa is coming.
Santa brought me pawresents last year, and I just can't wait for him to come again.
I wonder if I should get Howard Jr to help me put a sign out at our front gate - SANTA PLEASE STOP HERE.
I hope Santa knows that I have been a very good girl all this past year.
Mommy decorated our Christmas Tree yesterday, and I had a good sniff around it as I inspected it last night.
I'm going to put my paw print beside my name on my soft, fluffy red and white Christmas Stocking that I had last Christmas when I was just a little puppy.
Please stop at my house Santa, and put some pawresents in my Christmas stocking.

The sunset here tonight is really red and spectacular thanks to all the volcanic ash from the Chilean volcano that is high up in the atmosphere over my country.
The last yellow autumn leaves that are still clinging to the cherry tree by the front gate look so pretty in the dusk light.
Thousands of air travellers are stranded here because some of the airlines are refusing to fly with the belts of volcanic ash here. We feel for each and every one of them, because they will just be wanting to leave this place after the awful events that took place yesterday afternoon.

I was lying in the sun in the yard with Howard Jr at 1.00pm yesterday afternoon when the ground started to shake again.
Howard Jr stood up to look at the water sloshing out of our swimming pool, but then he hit the deck again as the shaking got stronger and continued.
I didn't quite know what to do, but went and inspected the swimming pool with Howard Jr as soon as the shaking stopped.
Water had sloshed all over the pavers, and stone area down from the deck around the swimming pool. The quake scientists said it was a 5.5 magnitude earthquake, but they have since upgraded it to a 5.7.

Mommy and Holly came to check on us, and decided we were OK.
However, we all just stared at that swimming pool and the way the water was rippling as it sloshed from side to side. Previous experiences over the past 9 1/2 months of our lives dictated that this was not a good sign at all.
The ground shook another 4 times over the next 40 minutes, and I started to cry so mommy took me inside and put me in my crate to keep me safe. I felt a lot better in my crate beside Xena because I couldn't feel the ground vibrating under my paws.
The horses in the front pasture over the high fence from our yard all stood with their backs in the same direct that the earthquakes were coming from.
Mommy looked at the rippling water in the swimming pool, the horses in the pasture and knew that this was bad, so she opened all the doors into the long hallway that runs down the middle of our old house for us to run into, and let us out of our crates - she just knew something bad was going to happen.

At 2.20pm our old 120yr old house started to shake and mommy called us into the hallway. We stood in the doorways like mommy has taught us to, and the shaking went on and on. The piano at the far end of the hallway near the front door rolled over near the other side of the hallway. The big chandalier that hangs from the ceiling in the hallway swang violently backwards and forwards, and stuff was banging and crashing everywhere in our house. Our power went out, it flickered back on, and then there was silence.

Xena and I ran to mommy and Holly and jumped all over mommy, so pleased that the awful shaking had stopped.
We went and checked on Howard Jr.
Howard Jr was frantically digging a huge hole in the stones in our backyard, and he was growling - trying to find what had made the ground shake so badly!
Our swimming pool was now minus a couple of feet of water, and it was still sloshing and rippling.

We had just had yet another huge shallow earthquake that has brought severe destruction to our city that was once an extremely beautiful place to live in.
Thankfully only one person has died because of that earthquake. However several people have severe crushing injuries.
The scientists originally said is was a magnitude 6.0, but have since upgraded it to a 6.3.
There was a severe frost last night when about 57,000 houses on the east side of the city didn't have any power or water. Some of them still don't have power or water tonight either, and another strong frost is forecast for tonight.
They were treating people for hypothermia at the hospitals last night - a night which had us enduring another 50 aftershocks along with the freezing temperatures. Xena and I kept waking up in the night in our crates crying with the aftershocks, so mommy and daddy ended up with 5 German Shepherds sleeping with them in their bedroom!

There is a general air of despair and depression where we live now, and mommy and daddy would have moved yesterday if they didn't own our house and have their jobs here.
Mommy and daddy are so thankful they paid what they felt at the time was a king's ransom to earthquake proof our old house about 25yrs ago, in a city that had minimal earthquake risk back then. Now they are so thankful that they did what they did way back then, and that they know we are safe even if the house does shake like nothing else in the big earthquakes.

Our city was once hailed as the most beautiful English city, outside of England itself. We had so many beautiful heritage buildings, parks, and an incredibly beautiful story of how the pilgrims on the first 4 ships came and settled here - how they built this city with such hope and vision for it's future.
Now it's all gone.
All the heritage buildings are now fallen into piles of rubble. The sky scrapers of the business district are going to have to be demolished due to severe subsidence of the ground. Entire suburbs are going to have to be abandoned, never to be built on again.

The earth here just won't stop shaking, and the "shake" factor of our earthquakes is a severe phenomena peculiar to here so the scientists are saying.
Mommy and daddy wonder if those of us here will have the same spirit and vision as our forefathers had when they built our once beautiful city.
We sure hope so.
In the meantime, I think us doggies will all be sleeping in mommy and daddy's bedroom at night until the aftershocks subside a bit.

Yesterday was a very big day for my doggy family. It was the Otage German Shepherd Dog Club's Specialist Show.
We were up very early, and arrived at the show very early so that daddy could park our van backing into the wind so that we would have shelter from the cold. The wind was very cold all day, and it sure did blow!
My aunty Xena is dropping her coat and when mommy brushed her the wind blew all the fur away before she could catch it and put it in the trash bag!
Daddy couldn't put up our gazebo because of the wind either, and the tents that were up were getting blown around something terrible.

Howard Jr had his showing class, and was really naughty for daddy - it being daddy's first time ever showing him!
Daddy complained about that to mommy, but as mommy said, daddy has to take over the lead some time. Daddy had problems with me when he took over handling me at the same age too.
"Why can't he be like Georgi?" Daddy asked mommy when they got him back to our van.
Mommy just raised her eyebrows and said nothing.
Howard Jr. got 4th place and was graded "Very Promising" which is the highest grading a baby puppy can get at a specialist show.

We had to wait for the boy dogs to be judged after that, and so it wasn't time for me to go into the ring until after lunch.
Mommy groomed me, gave me a big hug and then daddy took me away to the holding ring. All of us girl puppies said hello to each other - as we remembered each other from the last GSD Specialist show in April. Everyone of us knew who was going to win the class - the imported puppy girl, and that's OK cause that's just the way things go. At a GSD Specialist show it's the grading you get that's the most important thing, and the critique that the judge gives you. I was first into the ring because I'm the oldest in my class now, and I felt very proud to be leading my class into the ring.
The judge made us walk around the big ring once and then she relaxed us and we did our individual workouts.

I stood very well for daddy and pricked my ears when mommy called me to. My out and back went perfectly and then when daddy gaited me around the ring, I tried my hardest to extend my toes out past my nose.
Mommy gave me lots of hugs when I ran to her, and I knew that I had done well. Daddy and mommy then took me into the huge club gazebo to keep me out of the awful cold wind.
We watched the other girl pups do their workouts and then we had to line up again and wait for the steward to call us out in the order she had placed us after our individual workouts.
The imported girl puppy was called out first, then another girl puppy, and then the steward called ME!
I was so proud to be called out third in such a lovely class of beautiful girl pups.

The easy part of my show class was over, and now the hard part - the challenge began.
We all started off around that big ring with our double handlers calling us to keep our ears pricked and work into our leads. The judge walked us around that big ring so many times, and mommy ran about half a ring in front of me calling me all the time. She had a container of my favorite liver treats and I sure wanted them.
Daddy kept telling me I was a good girl, and I held my position after the fast gait.
All of a sudden the judge pointed at me, and daddy ran me inside the ring up into second place.
Now my ears were really pricked - I was the one behind the imported girl puppy!

Daddy kept telling me I was such a good girl, and mommy was running like mad in front of me calling me to keep my ears pricked and work into my lead.
Around that big ring we went again and again.
I was so determined that no one was going to take my special second place away from me, I worked harder than ever.
Finally the judge made us stop and she walked down the line patting our heads.
"You're a very good girl," she told me as she patted me.
The judge spoke to the steward and then the steward came and told us to stand at the pegs in that same order.

I was so excited to be standing under the no. 2 peg I put my paws up on daddy's arm and gave him a huge lick to thank him for being my handler.
The judge then gave out our verbal critiques in the ring.
She told everyone, that while the girl in 3rd place had earned 2nd place initially, I was the one who had worked the best. She said that it was so obvious that I had given my all in my work out and graded me "Very Good."
Lots of people congratulated daddy and mommy over me. They all gave me hugs and said "Well done Georgi."
I was so tired after that I went back to our van and slept for most of the afternoon.

It was a very long, very cold day, and my mama Crystal had to compete in the pouring rain under floodlights in the dark.
Unfortunately mama didn't win an "Excellent" medal this time because she was naughty in the rain. We're going back to another specialist show tomorrow though, so maybe mama will win another one then.
We all had to stay for the prize giving afterwards because my aunty Xena won her first "Excellent" grading on her very first outging where she competed with "the big grown up girls."
It was nearly 9.00pm at night when we arrived home cold and hungry.
Mommy gave us our supper, and daddy put our crates in the warm near the fire for the night.
I think I had the most wonderful nights sleep, dreaming of standing under the no. 2 peg, and of liver bait.

Growing up seems to be a very hard thing to do.
Daddy told mommy tonight that he's sure I'm bigger than my Aunty Xena now - too bad she still bosses me around like I was a quarter her size!

I've decided I don't like this growing up thing very much at all.
My morning feed of puppy kibble has gradually changed to adult kibble over the past two weeks, and I don't get a big brisket bone for my lunch every day either. I only get given a brisket bone every second day for my lunch, and every other day I don't even have lunch now.
Puppy kibble seems to taste so much better than grown up kibble too!

Daddy has started running me beside his pushbike every night now too. We are doing a mile every night, and I'm really enjoying this. I sooooo want to run 5 miles beside daddy's pushbike every night like Xena, Holly and my mommy do, but daddy says I'm too young for that - POOH!

I don't get any training with mommy now. All of my training is done by daddy, and Howard Jr is being trained by mommy.
I suppose this might be better though, because daddy always uses liver bait or sausage treats when he trains me, and mommy only ever used verbal praise and no yummy treats.

It seems as if my puppy days are slowly leaving me - days of chewing, biting and breaking things I shouldn't.
I seem to be a whole lot different in a very grown up sort of way.
When mommy came rushing out of the house yesterday morning, after hearing the sound of a ceramic feed bowl breaking on the pavers, I just lay down on the deck beside the swimming pool and smiled to myself as I saw the expression on Howard Jr's face as he stood there looking at the product of his puppiness.
"This feed bowl was your great grandmother's!" mommy told him as she picked up the two pieces of it.

It's been a very strange weekend indeed, and of course my doggy family spent it at a dog show.

We had what is called a weather bomb! These are awful storms that blow straight up from the Antarctic over the three islands of my country.
Mommy says her and daddy putting up the gazebo over the back of our van yesterday was like a Charlie Chaplin movie! It would normally take about 5 - 10 minutes, and it took 3/4 hr yesterday. Mommy had to hold onto it for dear life while daddy tried to peg and tie it down into the place it was meant to be.

It was cold, wet and the galeforce winds blew fair in your face making you close your eyes at times.
I was a little nervous about my showing though because Xena always goes so much better in the wet.
However, it was Xena's birthday and all our show friends kept coming over to our gazebo patting her and feeding her treats.
At first I felt rather left out, but then a little smile creased the corners of my doggy mouth as Xena got more and more hyped by all the fuss that was being made of her.
Hmmmmmmmmm, maybe Xena would be so hyped by the time she got to the show ring - she'd be naughty as only Xena ever can be!

I was a little disappointed when Xena did a perfect workout and won her age class. Maybe she was going to be good, and then she'd probably win best of our whole breed.
Daddy was patting her outside the ring telling her what a good doggy she'd been, and that it would be so good if she won something on her birthday.
Mommy was holding my lead, and she whispered in my ear -
"Georgi, I think you're going to win today."
I pricked my ears and looked up at mommy as I licked her hand.
"My dog's going to beat your dog," Mommy told daddy just before we were called to go into the ring to compete for best girl of breed.
"No she isn't," Daddy told mommy with a frown. "Xena is going to beat Georgi for sure."
"Georgi, did you hear that?" mommy asked me as we heard our call for the ring. "Let's show everyone that you can beat Xena."

Well, I pricked my ears and trotted into the ring beside mommy. Xena was looking pretty good as we gaited around the ring the first time. Mommy ran beside me keeping my head up, and then as I settled she gradually let my lead out so that I could stretch out.
The judge walked down the line, and then she stopped and looked at me and Xena for a very long time. Xena and I had to run out against each other. More often than not when we do this Xena wins over me:(
Xena started out gaiting in front of me on a long lead while mommy kept me beside her. Mommy slowly let the lead out as I settled into it, and then I was striding after Xena with lots of drive and enthusiasm.
When we both came to a halt at our places all the beef jerky, liver bait, cheese, and birthday treats Xena had been given earlier in the day finally took over and she couldn't stand still for one second. I stood perfectly still looking at the judge with me beautiful dark brown eyes, and she walked up to mommy and shook her hand.
YAY! I had just won Best Girl Of Breed and another precious point towards my Championship title.

I didn't really care much about anything else for the rest of the weekend, and I even managed to sneak Xena's new squeaky pizza toy under my blanket in the van.
Now I'm one more point closer to becoming a champion.

Well, I'm home from my big adventure, and WOW was it ever an adventure.

Friday the 29th April sure was an exciting day for me.

Mommy picked up the National Dog Show program early in the morning.
"OMD! Georgi!" she gasped when she read the impressive names of all the other girl pups that were in my class. "Georgi, you sure have a huge amount of impressive competition in your class."
I just pricked my ears as mommy groomed me and I thought of how I didn't really care much about who the pups were I was competing against. After all, haven't I won top honors in my breed from my lowly position in the puppy class before.

I didn't feel so confident a little later when I went over to the hugest arena I have ever seen in my life to compete in the puppy stakes.
There were so many dogs, crates, arenas, bright lights, people, noise - so much noise, and I started to get the feeling that I didn't really want to be there. I tried to melt into daddy the whole time I was in the ring competing, and did something I have never done before. Instead of looking at the judge, I was trying to look up at daddy the whole time.
I wasn't placed in the puppy stakes, and had to sit and watch Xena do a near perfect workout which ended with her stopping in a perfect show pose in front of the judge with her ears pricked!

Our breed classes were after lunch, and Howard Jr was first in the ring - the ice breaker for our breed. Daddy kneeled down beside me as I watched Howard Jr producing an almost flawless performance in the show ring as lots and lots of people watched him. There were so many of my breed around two sides of our ring with their handlers.
"You can do it Georgi," daddy told me as he rubbed my ear.
I rubbed my head against daddy's cheek, and kept gazing into the ring.

It was my turn to go into the ring, and as I glanced around me at all the other girl pups any of my nervousness I had earlier in the day left me suddenly.
I gaited into the ring with the purpose and drive of a seasoned show campaigner. My paws floated over the astroturf, and when I stood my show pose was near on perfect.
I tried so hard in my individual workout, and never took my eyes off the judge when I was standing perfectly still in the lineup.
Can you imagine how excited I felt when the judge called me into the front of the lineup?
There was no stopping me after that as the judge made us work around the ring again. I was in the lead, and I was more determined than ever to keep my position. The girls behind me all worked hard too as the judge made us gait around that ring. My paws started to stretch further out past my nose as I held my rhythmic stride.
The judge ordered us to stop, and then she walked over and shook daddy's hand - I HAD WON MY CLASS!
I was so excited when I got out of the ring I stood up on daddy's side and gave him a big kiss.

Next I had to go in for Best Girl of Breed, and while the older girls won those two places I was moved up the lineup in the final placings - a seal of approval from the judge for me as a young girl pup.
After the judging for Best Of Breed was held those who had won their classes competed for Best of Age Group, and I had the priviledge of winning Best Puppy Of Breed.

While I didn't win anything else at The National Dog Show, mommy and daddy were so delighted with my performance.
I was so pleased to arrive home and have a beautiful pink and blue rosette to place on the wall with my other ribbons and rosettes that tells everyone that I was Best Puppy Of Breed at The National Dog Show.